By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
Fitzgerald Carter, David Pérez Asensio, Avanell “Clarky” Morton and Paul Decle
David Pérez Asensio, 42, of Spain, was formally introduced as the BVI Football Association’s new men’s national Football team head coach on Friday, and Barbados’ Fitzgerald Carter as women’s development director, during a press conference at the Dept. of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Pérez Asensio’s hire comes four months after Englishman Chris Kiwomya, 54, ended his tenure as head coach and three months before the BVI hosts Jamaica in their FIFA World Cup qualifier on June 25. Kiwomya, who led the BVI to its first regional win in 19 years and first World Cup Qualifying victory in 28 years, compiled a 2-5-9 record in 16 games.
Avanell “Clarky” Morton said that after being elected as BVIFA President last June, it was to ensure that they have “pride, priority and country” above everything else.
“It’s not about winning, it’s about developing, so our intention was to get the best and suitable candidates in the BVI to lead our program,” he said. “The direction we went with FIFA, CONCACAF and other stakeholders, we have some very good choices, very good picks to lead our organization with the Technical Director, Paul Decles and David who came in last Thursday our new head coach and Carter. We think that we are in the right place at the right time, and we’re looking forward for a better future for girls and boys in the community. These coaches will take us higher in the future.”
In 15 CONCACAF games between 2022 and 2024, Pérez Asensio coached Belize to a 1-3-11 record. “I’m giving my 200% working with the players on the national team and we have to compete in June (vs Jamaica) for the FIFA World Cup qualification,” he said. “Working with the team, I need to change the mentality of the players to be more professional coming to training. It’s so difficult in the BVI. There’s only the league, but the reality is teams don’t train during the week and the physicality of the players is so difficult. But we will start to train with 200%–me, the players, the staff, everybody—to change the situation.”
When told that the BVI has only won one regional game in 19 years and one FIFA World Cup qualifying game in 28 years, Pérez Asensio said he’s here to change it. “If possible, win the games in FIFA World Cup qualifying and Nations League, I’m here to change that,” said Pérez Asensio, who has begun working with the national team. “Changing the mentality of the players is the most important thing. The commitment with the players is good, but we need more players training, confidence in the coach, because representing the national team is an honor and the players need to understand that. When you’re going to represent your country, you have to come to train with the passion, with the energy for representing the country.”
Morton said Pérez Asensio doesn’t know the players so they’ll have to fight for their positions. “It’s one of the first times we’ve ever had a full time—not part time coach—on the ground training our national team, our local based players, that’s a very important thing for us,” he said. “The guys from Europe and England that come to play for the national team, they’re at a higher level. We think that with a coach like him, it will impact the local players, so that everybody can be on the same level. There’s nobody better than anybody, so that’s one of the main reasons why we brought him here.”
Carter, who coached the Barbados U20 Men’s team and has experience working with women’s programs, said it’s an honor to work on this “special project” developing Women’s Football.
“I will do my utmost best to raise participation and really get the female game to another level,” he said. “I’m really excited about it and I’m thankful for this opportunity.”
